Department of Commerce: Newsroom Itemhttps://www.commerce.gov/feeds/news/secretary-speeches/2012/03
The most recent 20 items in this list.enU.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigation into Auto Importshttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-initiates-section-232-investigation-auto-imports
<p>Today, following a conversation with President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. The investigation will determine whether imports of automobiles, including SUVs, vans and light trucks, and automotive parts into the United States threaten to impair the national security as defined in Section 232. Secretary Ross sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis informing him of the investigation.</p>
<p>“There is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department of Commerce will conduct a thorough, fair, and transparent investigation into whether such imports are weakening our internal economy and may impair the national security.” </p>
<p>During the past 20 years, imports of passenger vehicles have grown from 32 percent of cars sold in the United States to 48 percent. From 1990 to 2017, employment in motor vehicle production declined by 22 percent, even though Americans are continuing to purchase automobiles at record levels. Now, American owned vehicle manufacturers in the United States account for only 20 percent of global research and development in the automobile sector, and American auto part manufacturers account for only 7 percent in that industry. </p>
<p>Automobile manufacturing has long been a significant source of American technological innovation. This investigation will consider whether the decline of domestic automobile and automotive parts production threatens to weaken the internal economy of the United States, including by potentially reducing research, development, and jobs for skilled workers in connected vehicle systems, autonomous vehicles, fuel cells, electric motors and storage, advanced manufacturing processes, and other cutting-edge technologies. </p>
<p>Following today’s announcement, the Department of Commerce will investigate these and other issues to determine whether imports of automobiles and automotive parts threaten to impair the national security. A notice will be published shortly in the Federal Register announcing a hearing date and inviting comment from industry and the public to assist in the investigation.</p>
Thu, 24 May 2018 08:12:45 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-initiates-section-232-investigation-auto-importsRemarks by Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the President&#039;s E Awards Ceremonyhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/05/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-presidents-e-awards-ceremony
<p>Thank you. It’s great to see all of you here during World Trade Month. We are delighted you could join us for this celebration. On behalf of President Trump, welcome to this very special ceremony.</p>
<p>I also welcome our special guests here from Capitol Hill:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Congressman Darrell Issa from California here to support Applied Membranes, Inc.;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Congressman David Kustoff from Tennessee here to support Orgill, Inc.;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Congressman Roger Marshall from Kansas here to support GT Manufacturing, Inc.;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Congresswoman Mimi Walters from California here to support the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce and Thomas Gallaway Corporation DBA Technologent; and</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Congressman David Young from Iowa here to support Kuder, Inc.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Let’s have a big round of applause for our honorees, the Presidential E and E - Star winners. Thank you for going the extra mile to find customers beyond our borders.</p>
<p>Thanks also to Sarah Kemp and our fantastic export assistance team at the Commerce Department for helping U.S. businesses find new markets.</p>
<p>The “E” award was established in 1961 to promote global outreach by American entrepreneurs and businesses.</p>
<p>Less than 3 percent of American companies ever export anything – a condition that we are working very hard to change. Exports are critically important to economic growth and opportunity across our Nation:</p>
<ul>
<li>They contributed $2.3 trillion to our economy in 2017. </li>
<li>They support over 10 million good-paying jobs. </li>
<li>They increase profits. </li>
<li>They promote innovation. </li>
<li>And they build global relationships.</li>
</ul>
<p>Today, we are honoring 43 businesses and groups who have met the E-Award criteria and have had four successive years of export growth. Nine of them are previous E-Award winners, so will receive an E-Star.</p>
<p>Today’s winners include companies like Phenix Technology, which was started by two young fire captains in California. In 1968, Ronny Coleman and Ray Russell set out to design and build the best fire helmets available anywhere. Today, they have 100 sales distributors worldwide.</p>
<p>Rachel Carson established Helicopter Tech in 1995. Directing and managing the manufacture and delivery of key aviation components, Helicopter Tech has found buyers across Europe and Asia.</p>
<p>The National Marine Manufacturing Association represents the $121 billion recreational boating industry. In 2012, they launched an export development program to open the huge untapped global market for their nearly 35,000 members. Successes include a dealer agreement between an American boat builder and a Chinese-based boat dealer looking to add a U.S. brand to their portfolio. To date, five units have been purchased, totaling over $1 million in export sales. Another boat builder went from never exporting, to selling to more than a dozen countries around the world through a vibrant distributor network.</p>
<p>The Alabama Department of Commerce decided to build on its export promotion activities by leading trade missions to 21 countries over the past four years.</p>
<p>Leslie Smith jokes that he started his company, Heavy Equipment Resources of Florida (HERO), so he could spend more time traveling with his son Carlton, who is now VP and COO. HERO exports mining machinery and parts to Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Exports represent 100 percent of the company’s revenues.</p>
<p>Exports also account for 100 percent of American Trading International’s revenues. ATI specializes in U.S. processed food and beverage exports. Their top customers in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and South America.</p>
<p>We know it is not easy making the leap to global markets.</p>
<p>Every day, the Commerce Department’s trade specialists throughout the country and the world work with companies looking to grow their exports.</p>
<p>I’m sure each of you has a story about licensing, standards, or some other market obstacle you had to overcome to sell your product or service overseas.</p>
<p>For too long, countries around the world have put highly competitive American companies and workers at a disadvantage. Several of our winners today count China as their number-one international export market. Others include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hydro-Thermal Corporation;</li>
<li>Flexo Concepts;</li>
<li>Santa Monica College;</li>
<li>Colorado State University; and</li>
<li>iTep International, a business that assesses English language skills in 51 countries.</li>
</ul>
<p>From day one, this Administration has been committed to leveling the playing field for businesses and organizations like yours. As you’ve seen in the news, we are working very hard to make China treat your companies more fairly and accept more imports.</p>
<p>But these efforts also extend the world over:</p>
<ul>
<li>We are working to reduce the costs and complexities of entering new markets.</li>
<li>We are renegotiating trade agreements. </li>
<li>We are actively investigating unfair trade practices.</li>
<li>And we have brought new energy to enforcing our trade agreements.</li>
</ul>
<p>We are letting the world know that trade with America needs to be free, fair, and reciprocal.</p>
<p>So, thank you for your hard work in overseas markets, and here at home. We want E-Award flags displayed in every community throughout America.</p>
<p>Congratulations to each of you for your success, and we wish you the best of luck in the future.</p>
<p>It is my honor to present you with the President’s E- and E-Star awards.</p>
Mon, 21 May 2018 18:16:26 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/05/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-presidents-e-awards-ceremonyU.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Final Circumvention Rulings on Steel from Vietnamhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-circumvention-rulings
<p>Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced final affirmative rulings that corrosion-resistant steel (CORE) and certain cold-rolled steel flat products (cold-rolled steel) imported from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) produced from substrate originating in the People’s Republic of China (China) are circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders on CORE and cold-rolled steel imported from China. As a result of today’s announcement, Commerce will instruct Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue collecting cash deposits on imports of CORE and cold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin substrate.</p>
<p>U.S. law provides that Commerce may find circumvention of AD/CVD orders when merchandise that is the same class or kind as merchandise subject to existing orders is completed or assembled in a third country prior to importation into the United States.</p>
<p>CBP will continue to collect AD and CVD cash deposits on imports of CORE produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin substrate at rates of 199.43 percent and 39.05 percent, respectively. CBP will also collect AD and CVD cash deposits on imports of cold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin substrate at rates of 199.76 percent and 256.44 percent, respectively. These cash deposit rates were previously established in the AD and CVD investigations on cold-rolled steel and CORE from China. Cash deposits will apply to all unliquidated entries on or after November 4, 2016, the date the inquiries were initiated. Importers and exporters of Vietnamese merchandise that is produced from substrate originating in Vietnam or a third-country have the option of seeking an exemption from cash deposits by certifying that the substrate originated outside of China.</p>
<p>Shipments of CORE from Vietnam to the United States increased from $2 million to $80 million after preliminary duties were imposed on Chinese products in 2015. Likewise, shipments of cold-rolled steel from Vietnam to the United States increased from $9 million to $215 million after preliminary duties were imposed on Chinese products in 2015.</p>
<p>These inquiries were conducted in response to requests from U.S. domestic producers of CORE and cold-rolled steel: Steel Dynamics, Inc. (IN), California Steel Industries (CA), AK Steel Corporation (OH), ArcelorMittal USA LLC (IN), Nucor Corporation (NC), and United States Steel Corporation (PA).</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based solely on factual evidence.</p>
Mon, 21 May 2018 16:26:44 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-circumvention-rulingsU.S. Secretary of Commerce Kicks Off World Trade Week by Honoring U.S. Firms with Presidential Export Awardhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-secretary-commerce-kicks-world-trade-week-honoring-us-firms
<p>Today, at the 2018 President’s “E” Awards ceremony, <a href="//www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-secretary-commerce-kicks-world-trade-week-honoring-us-firms">Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross honored</a> 43 U.S. companies and organizations that export U.S. goods and services. Companies representing 18 states were recognized as part of the 56th anniversary of the award. This year’s honorees include 33 small and medium-sized businesses as well as 17 manufacturers.</p>
<p>“Since his inauguration, job creation has been a top priority for President Trump as well as his entire Administration,” said Secretary Ross. “There is no better way to kick off World Trade Week than to honor these companies who have increased exports while creating jobs for communities across the United States.” </p>
<p>The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and recognize America's exporters. Today’s honorees helped contribute to exporting more than two trillion dollars’ worth of U.S. goods and services in 2017, and nearly 11 million American jobs were supported by exports in 2016.</p>
<p>This year, 25 companies and organizations were honored with the “E” Award for Exports for demonstrating a sustained increase in export sales over a four-year period. There were nine companies and organizations that assisted and facilitated export activities who received the “E” Award for Export Service. The “E” Star Award for Exports, which recognizes previous “E” Awardees who have reported four years of additional export growth, was awarded to eight firms. One company was awarded the “E” Star Award for Export Service, which recognizes previous “E” Awardees that have shown four years of continued support of exporters since first winning the “E” Award. The 2018 “E” Awardees are: </p>
<p><strong>“E” Award for Exports</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Applied Membranes, Inc – Vista, CA</li>
<li>Automated Packaging Systems – Streetsboro, OH</li>
<li>Beekley Medical – Bristol, CT </li>
<li>Colorado Mesa University – International Student Admissions and Programs – Grand Junction, CO </li>
<li>Colorado State University – Fort Collins, CO</li>
<li>CoreBrace, LLC – West Jordan, UT</li>
<li>EXEPRON – Lafayette, LA</li>
<li>Flexo Concepts – Plymouth, MA</li>
<li>Fortune Products, Inc. – Cedar Park, TX</li>
<li>Global Airtech – Van Nuys, CA</li>
<li>GT Mfg., Inc. – Clay City, KS</li>
<li>GTX Technologies LLC – Amarillo, TX</li>
<li>Helicopter Tech, Inc. – King of Prussia, PA</li>
<li>iTEP International, LLC – Canoga Park, CA</li>
<li>Jeppesen – Englewood, CO</li>
<li>Kira Labs Inc – Pompano Beach, FL</li>
<li>Maxxess Systems – Yorba Linda, CA</li>
<li>Micronova Manufacturing, Inc. – Torrance, CA</li>
<li>Mercury Medical – Clearwater, FL</li>
<li>PDI Ground Support Systems – Solon, OH</li>
<li>Phenix Technology, Inc. – Riverside, CA</li>
<li>Santa Monica College – Santa Monica, CA</li>
<li>Thomas Gallaway Corporation DBA Technology – Irvine, CA</li>
<li>United Franchise Group – West Palm Beach, FL</li>
<li>WorldBusiness Capital, Inc. – Hartford, CT</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>“E” Award for Export Service</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Alabama Department of Commerce – Montgomery, AL </li>
<li>CohnReznick LLP – New York, NY</li>
<li>Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce – Irvine, CA</li>
<li>First American Bank – Elk Grove Village, IL</li>
<li>First National Bank – Pittsburgh, PA</li>
<li>FTC Commercial Corp. – Los Angeles, CA</li>
<li>National Marine Manufacturers Association – Chicago, IL</li>
<li>Phillips Lytle LLP – Buffalo, NY</li>
<li>Silicon Valley Venture Capital Corp DBA Global4PL – Milpitas, CA</li>
</ul>
<p> <strong>“E” Star Award for Exports</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Allied Wire &amp; Cable, Inc. – Collegeville, PA</li>
<li>American Trading International, INC. – Los Angeles, CA</li>
<li>Durbin USA – Ocean Springs, MS</li>
<li>Heavy Equipment Resources of Florida, Inc. (HERO FL) – Jacksonville, FL</li>
<li>Gamber-Johnson, LLC – Stevens Point, WI</li>
<li>Hydro-Thermal Corporation – Waukesha, WI </li>
<li>Kuder, Inc. – Adel, IA</li>
<li>Orgill, Inc. – Collierville, TN</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>“E” Star Award for Export Service</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Specialty Equipment Market Association (SMEA) – Diamond Bar, CA</li>
</ul>
<p>American companies are nominated for “E” Awards through the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service office network, located within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Record years of successive export growth and an applicant’s demonstration of an innovative international marketing plan that led to the increase in exports is a significant factor in selecting the overall winners.</p>
<p>For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit <a href="http://www.export.gov" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">www.export.gov</a>.</p>
Mon, 21 May 2018 11:50:41 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-secretary-commerce-kicks-world-trade-week-honoring-us-firmsProminent Business and Government Leaders to Address 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit Participants https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/prominent-business-and-government-leaders-address-2018-selectusa
<div>The U.S. Department of Commerce and SelectUSA today announced the lineup of global executives and business leaders that will address participants at the <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwNTE0Ljg5NzMwMDgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDUxNC44OTczMDA4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDA4NDYzJmVtYWlsaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.selectusasummit.us/agenda-overview/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">SelectUSA Investment Summit</a>, June 20-22, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Speakers include U.S. governors, Cabinet secretaries, and executives from U.S. and global companies including Foxconn, Lanxess, and Mercedes-Benz.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The industry executives and leaders speaking at the Investment Summit are the same people driving business growth and policy change on the global stage,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Once again, we will have all the right people in the room to foster discussion on global business investment and economic growth – all part of what makes the Investment Summit such a successful event.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Confirmed speakers include:</div>
<ul>
<li>Alexander Acosta, U.S. Secretary of Labor</li>
<li>Mike Baird, Chief Customer Officer, National Australia Bank</li>
<li>Matt Bevin, Governor, Kentucky</li>
<li>Jose Manuel Entrecanales, Chairman &amp; CEO, Acciona</li>
<li>Mary Fallin, Governor, Oklahoma</li>
<li>Jack Fusco, President and CEO, Cheniere</li>
<li>Gary Herbert, Governor, Utah</li>
<li>Marillyn Hewson; Chairman, President, and CEO; Lockheed Martin</li>
<li>John Hickenlooper, Governor, Colorado</li>
<li>Jason Hoff, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International</li>
<li>Eric Holcomb, Governor, Indiana</li>
<li>Farnam Jahanian, President, Carnegie Mellon University</li>
<li>Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO, Sofidel</li>
<li>Timothy Madden, COO of U.S. Operations, Oxiteno</li>
<li>Nancy McLernon, CEO, Organization for International Investment</li>
<li>Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury</li>
<li>C.L. “Butch” Otter, Governor, Idaho</li>
<li>April Palmerlee, CEO, American Chamber of Commerce in Australia</li>
<li>Antonis Papadourakis, President and CEO, Lanxess Corporation</li>
<li>Pete Ricketts, Governor, Nebraska</li>
<li>Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO, ABB</li>
<li>Craig Vosburg, President, Mastercard</li>
<li>Scott Walker, Governor, Wisconsin</li>
<li>John Waldron, Head of Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs</li>
<li>Martin Weissburg, Executive Vice President, Volvo Group/Mack Trucks</li>
<li>Louis Woo; Chairman, NC-IH Holdings, Ltd.; Foxconn Technology Group</li>
<li> Michael Young, President, Texas A&amp;M University</li>
</ul>
<div> </div>
Mon, 14 May 2018 16:19:25 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/prominent-business-and-government-leaders-address-2018-selectusaRemarks by Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the National Press Club Headliners Luncheonhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/05/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-national-press-club-headliners
<p>Thank you, Andrea, for that kind introduction. It is an honor to be addressing the National Press Club.</p>
<p>When I was a student at Yale, my dream was to be a writer, so I joined a course called Daily Themes which required 1,000 words of fiction by 10 a.m. each morning.</p>
<p>By the second week, I was out of material and dropped out of the course.</p>
<p>As a result, I admire people like you who write professionally every day.</p>
<p>Since we are in the midst of negotiations with China, that will be my main topic.</p>
<p>Let’s begin with two questions.</p>
<p>Does anyone doubt that China’s trade surpluses with us have boosted their economic growth?</p>
<p>Second question: If their surpluses with us have been good for China, how can our trade deficits with them not be bad for us?</p>
<p>I believe that deficits do matter!</p>
<p>But not all trade deficits are the same.</p>
<p>For example, the United States has historically not been self-sufficient in oil, especially before the shale-oil phenomenon.</p>
<p>Therefore, a country supplying our needs should not be criticized for doing so because we otherwise would have to buy oil from someone else.</p>
<p>I call this a "blameless" deficit.</p>
<p>However, trade deficits caused by artificial means --like asymmetrical tariffs, and non-tariff trade barriers -- are NOT blameless.</p>
<p>They are blameful -- and shameful.</p>
<p> This <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf"><strong>FIRST CHART</strong></a> I brought with me today shows that in 21 of 23 major product categories, China’s tariffs are far higher than ours.</p>
<p>A similar chart for Europe would show almost the same disparities: they both are far higher than the U.S.</p>
<p>This is not natural comparative advantage.</p>
<p>This is protectionism.</p>
<p>The United States is the most open and the most exploited market in the world.</p>
<p>Both China and Europe eloquently espouse free-trade rhetoric, but -- in actual practice -- are far more protectionist than the United States.</p>
<p> Our trade policy’s main objective is to make their real-world behavior match their free-trade speeches.</p>
<p>A second objective is to have our trading partners abide by the rules.</p>
<p>A major rationale for admitting China into the World Trade Organization was the expectation that they would abide by these rules.</p>
<p>But they have not.</p>
<p>Instead, of the 424 trade actions the U.S. has in effect against violations of the rules, half are antidumping or countervailing cases against China.</p>
<p>They have subsidized their industrial expansion far in excess of demand.</p>
<p>And have disrupted global markets.</p>
<p>China has forced technology transfers from companies wanting to sell to its vast market, and it has stolen intellectual property.</p>
<p>All of these abuses have been well documented in the media, your media. Not fake news!</p>
<p>A third objective of our trade policy is reforming prior errors made by our government.</p>
<p>Just after World War II, it was U.S. policy to rehabilitate Europe and Asia suffering from the ravages of war.</p>
<p> At that time, the United States was the unchallenged world economic power and had regular trade surpluses.</p>
<p>We created GATT, which morphed later into the WTO.</p>
<p>We made systematic trade concessions to which we remain bound today, decades later.</p>
<p>The policy error was that we did not time-denominate those concessions, or provide other mechanisms to adjust policy as conditions changed.</p>
<p>Concessions made to China or Europe that might have been totally correct 50 years ago are simply no longer appropriate today.</p>
<p>Yet, we are locked into the present trading system with rules created for a different era.</p>
<p>Despite these blunders, our underlying economic strength enabled us to continue to have trade surpluses into the 1970s.</p>
<p>We are now constrained by two sides of a WTO pincer.</p>
<p>One is the most-favored nation clause, or MFN.</p>
<p>This rule says that we must apply the same tariff to every nation with which we do not have a free trade agreement.</p>
<p>The second one is the so-called “Bound Rate."</p>
<p>This is an upper limit on the tariffs we can charge foreign nations, even with application of MFN.</p>
<p>The combination of MFN and Bound Tariff Rates prevent us from having reciprocal tariffs because, in most cases, our bound rate ceiling is at or near our very low MFN applied rate, while other nations have higher levels of both.</p>
<p>They, therefore, have little incentive to negotiate.</p>
<p>For example, our MFN applied tariff on passenger cars is 2.5 percent, and so is our bound rate.</p>
<p>We are stuck with it.</p>
<p>Europe’s tariff is 10 percent, four times ours.</p>
<p>China is at 25 percent, 10 times our tariffs.</p>
<p>Efforts over the last decade and a half to negotiate broad changes to these tariff rates have failed, in large part because of China’s unwillingness to make concessions commensurate with its significant role in the global economy.</p>
<p>So, China, the world’s largest car market, is effectively closed to our exporters.</p>
<p>This is not fair trade.</p>
<p>This is not free trade!</p>
<p>There is an even more bizarre outcome regarding Mexico.</p>
<p>NAFTA was to become a protective wall around the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for our collective benefit.</p>
<p>But NAFTA did not stop Mexico, which then had high auto tariffs on non-NAFTA countries, from signing a Free Trade Agreement with Europe.</p>
<p>That agreement permits Mexican-produced autos to enter Europe duty-free while auto producers making cars in the United States remain subject to Europe's 10 percent tariff.</p>
<p>Automakers seeking exports to Europe derive several times more benefit from this tariff anomaly than from lower Mexican labor costs when they move a plant to Mexico.</p>
<p>Similar examples abound throughout the world.</p>
<p>In addition to problems with WTO rules, there are problems with the organization’s mindset.</p>
<p>The WTO has 164 members, virtually all of which export products to the United States and want to export more.</p>
<p>Access to the U.S. market is one of their primary benefits of joining the WTO.</p>
<p>And each of those 164 countries has one vote -- equal to that of the United States.</p>
<p>You can only imagine how damaging that is to the United States.</p>
<p>The WTO constantly complains that the increasing number of antidumping and countervailing trade cases brought by member countries indicates growing protectionism.</p>
<p>It apparently does not occur to the WTO leadership that more trade actions are brought because there are more trade violations.</p>
<p>Why does all of this matter?</p>
<p>Because the U.S. trade deficit is the largest in the world.</p>
<p>It is unreasonable for one country to bear the burden of bolstering the economic fortunes of the entire planet.</p>
<p>The United States is one of the least protectionist major countries, and we have the deficits to show for it.</p>
<p>China and Europe are highly protectionist and their positive trade balances with us reflect it.</p>
<p>A few charts will quantify these thoughts.</p>
<p>This <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf"><strong>SECOND CHART</strong></a> shows the relatively slow growth of China's economy prior to its entry into the WTO.</p>
<p>The black vertical line marks its entry into the WTO in 2001.</p>
<p>Note the remarkable acceleration in growth following their admission into the WTO.</p>
<p>What changed?</p>
<p>Just one thing: China joined the WTO with beneficial terms guaranteeing their access to the tariff anomalies I mentioned earlier.</p>
<p>As shown in the <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf"><strong>THIRD CHART</strong></a>, even though our total economy was much larger than China’s, their manufacturing output surpassed ours beginning in 2009--2010, and the gap has widened since then.</p>
<p>And as you will see in the following<strong> <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf">FOURTH CHART</a></strong>, China's massive growth in output following its admission into the WTO has been reflected in the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs.</p>
<p>It is not just automation that has cost factory jobs: It is also substitution of imports for domestic production.</p>
<p>There are approximately 100 different ways in which China subsidizes its companies, even to the point of fostering continued expansion of unprofitable factories beyond the growth in demand.</p>
<p>The dumping of products in overseas markets at subnormal prices is a significant cause of the recent crises in steel and aluminum. Once again, their behavior is very different from their words.</p>
<p>The<strong> <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf">FIFTH</a></strong><a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf"> <strong>CHART</strong></a> indicates each time China said it was cutting back on steel. The chart shows their actual output.</p>
<p>We impose duties in response to dumping, but they cleverly avoid our trade action by transshipping products through a third country, or with a slight modification of the product, or other devices.</p>
<p>The steel object I am holding up recently became subject to a 25 percent tariff.</p>
<p>China's response was to add the small flange at one end of the second one.</p>
<p>WTO rules require such specificity in tariffs that this trivial change avoided the original tariff.</p>
<p>You can’t make this stuff up!</p>
<p>This is what happens every day in the real world.</p>
<p>The problem with classic free trade theory is that it does not correspond to reality.</p>
<p>The real world is filled with distortions like the ones I have mentioned.</p>
<p>This explains why the President insisted on a robust trade policy.</p>
<p>In terms of enforcing the rules, the Commerce Department has initiated 75 percent more trade cases than during the comparable period of the last administration.</p>
<p>And we will continue to aggressively pursue violations.</p>
<p>But, because of all the inherent loopholes in the enforcement of trade law, more comprehensive action has become necessary.</p>
<p>Two separate investigations, one on steel and the other on aluminum, have been completed by the Department of Commerce under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.</p>
<p>And, an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 has been undertaken by the U.S. Trade Representative against China for intellectual property rights violations.</p>
<p>The steel and aluminum cases are aimed at dealing with today’s problems.</p>
<p>The Section 301 investigation is to protect our future from an already evolving negative trend in technology.</p>
<p>The <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/national_press_club_slides_5.14.2018.pdf"><strong>SIXTH and FINAL</strong> <strong>CHART</strong></a> shows the intensified trajectory of our trade deficit with China in advanced technology products.</p>
<p>China's announced decision to subsidize a dozen of the most promising technologies to become dominant in them by the year 2025 is a major problem.</p>
<p>We welcome legitimate competition, but we cannot tolerate competition that is based on massive government subsidies and industrial cyber espionage.</p>
<p>Another demonstration of the importance of technology is that the Patent Office, part of the Department of Commerce, will issue its 10 millionth patent in June.</p>
<p>This remarkable accomplishment far exceeds the patent activity of any other country, and demonstrates the importance of intellectual property to the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>Taken together, the 232s and the 301 investigation are bookends around our trade-policy initiatives.</p>
<p>The logic behind them is indisputable.</p>
<p>Both focus on protecting key elements of the economic base that is essential to national security.</p>
<p>But the retaliation lists published by China have created worry about a trade war.</p>
<p>So, let’s analyze how far it might go.</p>
<p>As the President has pointed out, China sells us far more than we sell them.</p>
<p>Given the lopsided balance, they would run out of targets for tariffs much sooner than we would.</p>
<p>Also, their retaliations would negatively impact their own economy as well as ours.</p>
<p>China buys no products from us if they have cheaper alternatives.</p>
<p>Therefore, the tariffs they impose will come at a cost to them.</p>
<p>This would be particularly severe for China in agricultural products.</p>
<p>China has 20 percent of the world’s population but only 11 percent of the arable land.</p>
<p>They cannot feed themselves, so they must import to fill the gap, especially as their diets shift toward more protein content.</p>
<p>Take soybeans as an example.</p>
<p>It is true that China is our largest customer.</p>
<p>But it also is true that Brazil accounts for a bit more than 50 percent of Chinese imports, while we are 30 percent.</p>
<p> For Brazil to replace us, they would have to increase their exports to China by 60 percent.</p>
<p>But if Brazil could ship that much more at competitive prices they would do so already.</p>
<p>They have not been holding back just to help the United States.</p>
<p>Brazil also has issues with climate and its transportation networks, which limit its ability to export materially more than it already does.</p>
<p>Realistically then, to fill the additional Chinese demand, they would have to divert some soybeans now sold elsewhere.</p>
<p>In return for a higher price to China, they might be willing to disrupt existing customer relationships.</p>
<p>If they did so, the market they had formerly supplied would now open up for U.S. producers.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, it would be, at best, a pyrrhic victory for China.</p>
<p>Remember, food is a much higher percentage of income in China because incomes are so much lower.</p>
<p>Therefore, the pain in China would be widespread.</p>
<p>Against this background, two weeks ago, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer, Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President for Trade, and I spent two days in China.</p>
<p>We negotiated with a delegation of senior Chinese leaders from its Ministries of Finance and Commerce, and the People's Bank of China, led by Vice Premier Liu He.</p>
<p>Before landing in China, we sent them an extremely detailed list of our needs, and they responded with a similarly detailed, but quite different list of proposals. The gap is wide.</p>
<p>As has been announced, China's Vice Premier will soon come to Washington to follow up on those discussions.</p>
<p>It is difficult to handicap the outcome, but my hope is that the strong personal relationship between President Trump and President Xi will facilitate an agreement, just as it seems to be doing relative to North Korea.</p>
<p>The one sure thing is that President Trump meticulously honors his campaign promises, and key among them is making our trade relations with China much fairer.</p>
<p>Some pundits have said this activity on trade will result in retaliation and undo the benefits of deregulation and the tax cuts.</p>
<p>This is an exaggeration.</p>
<p> If China retaliates with a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of our exports, we would lose a major fraction of that volume but not all. For the sake of argument, assume that we lost all of that volume.</p>
<p>The hit would be only $50 billion.</p>
<p>This would be painful to the direct targets, but have less than a three-tenths of one percent impact on our $18 trillion economy, and it would partly be offset by the reduced imports of the goods on which we imposed our original 25 percent tariffs. Some portion of those would be produced domestically.</p>
<p>Also, the President has directed the Agriculture Department to use all of its power to ameliorate the impact on farmers.</p>
<p>The inflationary effects would be even more muted. Replacing $50 billion of Chinese imports with either our own production or imports from elsewhere would likely cost less than the tariff percentage.</p>
<p>But let’s pretend we had to absorb the full 25 percent increase, $12.5 billion.</p>
<p>This is a rounding error, seventy-one thousandths of 1 percent, well within the margin for error of any economic forecast.</p>
<p>Following this same logic, it would take $180 billion of tit for tat to cause a 1 percentage point reduction in GDP.</p>
<p>This is far more than the total of $130 billion in goods we export to them, and some of the food and lots of the technical products would not be readily replaceable.</p>
<p>Therefore, there is no real-world circumstance where China could cut our GDP by that much. We simply don’t export enough to them.</p>
<p>At the $180 billion level, the maximum inflationary impact would be $45 billion or one-quarter of 1 percent of our economy. Given the various offsets, the actual effect of retaliation would be even less than that.</p>
<p>Instead, China could easily reduce our trade deficit by purchasing from us a larger percentage of their existing $1.5 trillion of imports, rather than from existing free-trade partners.</p>
<p>To do so, they might have get around their own trade barriers, both tariff and non-tariff.</p>
<p>The more difficult challenge for them would be the intellectual property area.</p>
<p>They are rapidly ramping up their own R&amp;D, but are still years behind us in semiconductors and other areas.</p>
<p>Respecting our intellectual property would slow, but not stop, their efforts to move their manufacturing up the intellectual value-added scale.</p>
<p>For instance, the Commerce Department’s recent enforcement actions against ZTE, China’s second largest telecom equipment manufacturer, essentially caused them to cease operations.</p>
<p>President Trump tweeted yesterday that we will review that action, but it does demonstrate China’s dependence on U.S. technology.</p>
<p>Given all of these factors, I hope that we can make a fair deal. But if that does not happen, a trade tit-for-tat will not be economically life threatening to the United States.</p>
<p>I look forward to your questions.</p>
Mon, 14 May 2018 12:58:53 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/05/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-national-press-club-headlinersU.S. Secretary of Commerce Congratulates YAATRA Ventures LLC on Export Deal with Ugandahttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-secretary-commerce-congratulates-yaatra-ventures-llc-export-deal
<p>U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross congratulates YAATRA Ventures, LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based manager of investment capital with a specific expertise in Africa, on its recently announced $2.85 billion Project Framework Agreement with the government of Uganda. The YAATRA Ventures-led Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium, which includes General Electric’s Baker Hughes division, will develop, construct, and operate of a new oil refinery company in Uganda. </p>
<p>The Department of Commerce’s Advocacy Center and Secretary Ross collaborated with YAATRA, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda and the U.S. Commercial Service in Kenya during the past seven months to secure the agreement. This project is a joint venture with the Uganda National Oil Company and is supported by the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. Trade Development Agency, and SACE.</p>
<p>“The deal represents a major win for U.S. commercial interests in Uganda,” said Secretary Ross. “It embodies what we can achieve when government acts as a facilitator, not just a regulator.” </p>
<p>"Africa and the West share a lot of history together and there is a need for them to use these past linkages to further economic business," said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.</p>
<p>“Our partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advocacy team and direct engagement from Secretary Ross with His Excellency President Museveni on behalf of YAATRA and the Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium was critical to Government of Uganda's recognition of U.S. support for the refinery project,” said YAATRA Ventures President Rajakumari Jandhyala.</p>
<p>The agreement is valued at $2.85 billion with approximately $1 billion in expected U.S. export content, supporting more than 5000 jobs in the United States and Uganda.</p>
<p><strong>About the Advocacy Center: </strong>The Advocacy Center coordinates U.S. government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters bidding on public-sector contracts with overseas governments and government agencies. It helps to ensure that sales of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance competing abroad. Advocacy assistance is wide and varied but often involves companies that want the U.S. government to communicate a message to foreign governments or government-owned corporations on behalf of their commercial interest, typically in a competitive bid contest.</p>
<p><strong>About YAATRA Ventures: </strong>YAATRA Ventures focuses on developing innovative infrastructure solutions for the public sector that unlock productivity and drive economic growth in key African countries on the path to achieving middle-income status.</p>
Thu, 03 May 2018 16:36:18 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-secretary-commerce-congratulates-yaatra-ventures-llc-export-dealU.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determinations on Polyetrafluoroethylene Resin from China and India https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-preliminary-antidumping-duty-0
<p>Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin from China and India.</p>
<p>“The dumping of goods below market value in the United States is something the Trump Administration takes very seriously,” said Secretary Ross. "The Department of Commerce will continue to stand up for American workers and business’s in order to ensure that everyone trades on a level playing field.” </p>
<p>Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from China and India have sold PTFE resin in the United States at 69.34 to 208.16 percent and 18.49 percent less than fair value, respectively. </p>
<p>As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of imports of PTFE resin from China and India based on these preliminary rates. </p>
<p>In 2016, imports of PTFE resin from China and India were valued at an estimated $24.6 million and $14.3 million, respectively. </p>
<p>The petitioner is The Chemours Company FC LLC (Wilmington, DE).</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. Commerce has initiated 112 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations since the beginning of the Trump administration. This is 75 percent more than the 64 initiations in the last 466 days of the previous administration.</p>
<p>The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 430 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determinations in these investigations on September 18, 2018. </p>
<p>If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued. </p>
<p>Click <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwNTAxLjg5MjE2NDQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDUwMS44OTIxNjQ0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDA1MTY1JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-multiple-ptfe-resin-ad-prelim-050118.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0070c0; text-decoration:underline; word-break:break-word" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.</p>
<p>Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based solely on factual evidence. </p>
<p>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. </p>
Tue, 01 May 2018 19:08:46 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-preliminary-antidumping-duty-0U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determinations on Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwanhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-preliminary-antidumping-duty
<p>Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from Brazil, the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesia), the Republic of Korea (Korea), Pakistan, and Taiwan.</p>
<p>“The Department will use every tool at our disposal to defend U.S. industry against unfair trade practices,” said Secretary Ross. “Today’s decision allows U.S. producers of PET resin to receive relief from the market-distorting effects of potential dumping while the open and transparent process of investigating this matter continues.”</p>
<p>Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan have sold PET resin in the United States at less than fair value at the following preliminary dumping rates:</p>
<ul>
<li>Brazil – 24.09 percent to 226.91 percent;</li>
<li>Indonesia – 13.16 percent;</li>
<li>Korea – 8.81 percent to 101.41 percent;</li>
<li>Pakistan – 7.75 percent;</li>
<li>Taiwan – 9.02 percent to 11.89 percent. </li>
</ul>
<p>As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan based on these preliminary rates.</p>
<p>In 2016, imports of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan were valued at an estimated $51.7 million, $35.7 million, $24 million, $34.1 million, and $109.8 million, respectively. </p>
<p>The petitioners are DAK Americas, LLC (Charlotte, NC), Indorama Ventures USA, Inc. (Decatur, AL), M&amp;G Polymers USA, LLC (Houston, TX), and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America (Lake City, SC). Indorama Ventures USA, Inc. is not a petitioner with respect to the Indonesia investigation.</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. Commerce has initiated 112 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations since the beginning of the Trump administration. This is 75 percent more than the 64 initiations in the last 465 days of the previous administration.</p>
<p>The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 432 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determinations in these investigations on or about September 17, 2018. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued. </p>
<p>Click <a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-multiple-pet-resin-ad-prelim-043018.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0070c0; text-decoration:underline; word-break:break-word" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.</p>
<p>Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based solely on factual evidence.</p>
<p>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. </p>
Tue, 01 May 2018 10:30:57 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/05/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-preliminary-antidumping-dutyOp-Ed: President Trump’s Tax Plan is Working for Americahttps://www.commerce.gov/news/opinion-editorials/2018/04/op-ed-president-trumps-tax-plan-working-america
<p>As Americans filed their taxes this spring, they wrestled for the last time with a system that for decades plundered their paychecks and made American businesses uncompetitive.</p>
<p>The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump in December is already benefiting American families, workers, and companies. The United States will continue to reap the economic benefits generated by tax reform for years to come.</p>
<p>The tax cuts mean a typical family of four earning $75,000 a year with two children will see a tax cut of more than $2,000 in 2018. Tax reform increased take-home pay for millions of workers as the updated withholding tables that were phased in earlier this year have increased regular take-home pay for millions of workers.</p>
<p>Working Americans will see several tax benefits from the new law, including: lower tax rates; a doubling of the child tax credit; and the standard deduction nearly doubled. In addition, the tax penalty from the Obamacare mandate was repealed for individuals.</p>
<p>The benefits also extend to businesses, which now operate under a globally competitive tax system for the first time in decades. Reducing the top statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, shifting from a worldwide system of taxation to a mostly territorial tax system, and encouraging the immediate expensing of capital expenditures all are allowing companies to invest and grow here in the United States.</p>
<p><em>For the full opinion piece by Secretary Wilbur Ross, please visit <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/30/commerce-secretary-ross-president-trumps-tax-plan-is-working-for-america.html">CNBC.com</a></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:17:03 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/opinion-editorials/2018/04/op-ed-president-trumps-tax-plan-working-americaSecretary Ross Statement on House Passage of the American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Acthttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-statement-house-passage-american-space-commerce-free
<p>“Space activities are already a $336 billion industry and heading toward a trillion dollars of annual revenue. More than 70 countries launched into space last year, and the Trump Administration has recognized the importance of facilitating a pro-business environment that cements America’s leadership in space. By designating the Department of Commerce the “one-stop shop” to facilitate commercial space activities, the President's Space Council has initiated a constructive regulatory environment that not only streamlines the problems facing the space community today – but establishes the framework to solve the problems of tomorrow. I applaud the House of Representatives for passing legislation that expands upon the Administration’s approach to promote jobs, innovation, and economic growth in the commercial space business, and I look forward to continuing to work with the National Space Council, the Congress and industry to ensure American leadership in space commerce.”</p>
Thu, 26 Apr 2018 10:59:14 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-statement-house-passage-american-space-commerce-freeSecretary Ross Statement on the Appointment of Under Secretary Ricardel as Deputy National Security Advisor https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-statement-appointment-under-secretary-ricardel-deputy
<p>“I thank Under Secretary Ricardel for her leadership and steadfast service to our Department and to our Nation. Since coming on board, she has helped keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of those who would do us harm, while also working to ensure that imports do not threaten to impair our national security. We wish her well in her new role, and look forward to our future collaboration.”</p>
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:25:39 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-statement-appointment-under-secretary-ricardel-deputyRemarks by Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the National Space Symposium 2018https://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/04/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-national-space-symposium-2018
<p>Good morning, and thank you for the warm welcome. It is a pleasure to be here with all of you – world leaders in space policy, business, and scientific research. I am honored to address an audience that is so important to the future achievement and well-being of the United States.</p>
<p>What an exciting time for American advancement in space!</p>
<p>Last month, President Trump announced his National Space Strategy, a reinvigorated approach to ensuring U.S. leadership and success in space. It is long overdue.</p>
<p>His strategy focuses on four key principles:</p>
<ul>
<li>developing more resilient space architectures;</li>
<li>strengthening deterrence and warfighting options;</li>
<li>improving foundational capabilities, structures, and processes;</li>
<li>and fostering conducive domestic and international environments for space activity.</li>
</ul>
<p>To achieve these goals, the President’s space strategy prioritizes regulatory reforms to unshackle American industry and ensure that the United States remains the world leader in space services and technology.</p>
<p>Today, as we embark on a new era of space activity and exploration, the Department of Commerce is already working quickly to identify unnecessary regulatory burdens on space activity. And we are implementing reforms that ensure America remains the flag of choice for business activity in space. </p>
<p>U.S. leadership in space is essential to our technological innovation, economic growth, jobs, and national security. </p>
<p>Space commerce is already a $339 billion business and will become a trillion dollar one sooner than anyone realizes. But we are certainly not the only country up there. Over 70 countries are entering or have entered the commercial space industry. Many are represented here today. And there are over 1,500 operating satellites currently orbiting the world.</p>
<p>At the Department, we are committed to a forward-looking space strategy to ensure continued American leadership.</p>
<p>As many of you know, I serve on the National Space Council. In February, at the second meeting of the council, we released several recommendations that advance the Administration’s initiative to support space commerce.</p>
<p>First, the Department is repositioning and consolidating all of its space commerce functions under my direct supervision in the Office of the Secretary. This signals a high priority for the Department. </p>
<p>Formation of an elevated and amplified Space Administration will enable better coordination of all space-related activities at the Department—remote sensing, export controls, industrial base reviews, data buy policies, GPS coordination, spectrum policy, business and trade promotion, and standards and technology, to name a few. </p>
<p>We will create a “one stop shop” for space commerce that presents a single Department interface for industry needs. More efficiency, more attention, and more streamlining.</p>
<p>The Department will also soon announce the appointment of a new Director of the Office of Space Commerce, a position that has been vacant for nearly ten years. This individual will serve as an ambassador for U.S. space companies and advocate for our business opportunities around the world.</p>
<p>Additionally, Commerce is developing proposals for a mission authorization framework for all commercial space activities other than DOT launch and reentry and spectrum regulated by the FCC. Such a framework will provide U.S. industry the government stamp of approval needed to embark on novel, non-traditional opportunities in space requiring significant investment.</p>
<p>We have spoken with many innovative space companies that are yearning for the legitimacy and stability that comes with an official government approval. </p>
<p>For example, there are businesses that do not necessarily need to place cameras on their space objects. They nevertheless install them in order to obtain a NOAA-issued commercial remote sensing license. Businesses want that official piece of paper -- proof that affirms the government recognizes and supports their mission.</p>
<p>Still, there are many types of non-traditional space activities not covered by existing license regimes. This is where the Department of Commerce comes in. We are working to create a mission authorization process that will enable such creative endeavors to flourish.</p>
<p>Activities including satellite servicing and refueling, in-space manufacturing, space tourism, asteroid mining, and lunar habitation are not far away. </p>
<p>Government must foster the progress of industry, not stifle it.</p>
<p>The Space Council has also been discussing spectrum management and export control reform. Two topics of great importance to both government and private industry. </p>
<p>The Council also recommended that Commerce work with its National Telecommunications and Information Administration to ensure proper stewardship of radio frequency spectrum for commercial space activities.</p>
<p>Indeed, we must prepare for the communications needs of the future as we travel deeper into the realms of space and possibility.</p>
<p>We will coordinate with the FCC, industry, and the National Space Council to develop, advocate, and implement spectrum management policies that make the U.S. more competitive globally. </p>
<p>The Department’s NTIA also continues to promote the interests of the U.S. satellite industry abroad and at the International Telecommunications Union.</p>
<p>Doreen Bogdan-Martin, a former NTIA employee, is the U.S. candidate for ITU Development Sector Director. While at NTIA, Doreen championed the development of our pro-growth and pro-competition satellite policy.</p>
<p>If elected, she would be both the first American and the first woman on the ITU’s executive team. Our Administration has put its full support behind Doreen, who is well versed in U.S. space policy objectives. I hope all of you will support her nomination.</p>
<p>Commerce is also preparing a new policy review of the current export licensing regulations affecting commercial space activity. If approved by the President, we will provide recommendations for continued export control reform by January 1, 2019.</p>
<p>Finally, the Department’s Regulatory Reform Task Force is reexamining the commercial remote sensing regulations to bring them into the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. The regulatory framework is over 25 years old and no longer meets the needs of burgeoning space markets and technologies. </p>
<p>We apply the same level of interagency scrutiny to a high school CubeSat as we do to a billion-dollar asset designed for our intelligence community. This is silly!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we saw this first hand two weeks ago. SpaceX, like many launch companies, was not previously aware that the second stage camera recording and live video feed of its Falcon 9 launch were regulated under the National and Commercial Space Programs Act. The law requires authorization of camera activity from objects in Earth-orbit to protect U.S. national security interests. </p>
<p>Ultimately, the company had to suspend public access to the live feed prior to engine shut down, in accordance with the law. </p>
<p>However, SpaceX was not scanning the features of the Earth nor examining the bounds of its orbit. Rather, filming was focused on the rocket and its stage separations for purposes of marketing, status checks, and customer updates. </p>
<p>This is the perfect example of how commercial activity in space is outpacing government regulation. No more! </p>
<p>I have directed the Department and the Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office to implement reforms that will meet private sector needs without endangering national security.</p>
<p>Last night I visited with over a dozen CEOs of leading satellite companies. They shared their frustrations with existing, outdated regulations. I heard the same comments over and over—the current licensing processes take too long, are unpredictable, and provide no certainty to a frustrated industry. </p>
<p>In some cases, companies must wait well over a year to receive license determinations. To these companies I say: we hear you. Government can and must do better. And we will! It shouldn’t take longer to get a license than it does to design a rocket or a satellite.</p>
<p>The Department has already been making improvements. Commerce recently signed a MOU with the Departments of Defense, State, and Interior and the Director of National Intelligence. </p>
<p>The MOU sets more definitive timelines for remote sensing license decisions and elevates decision-making to senior government officials if deadlines are not met.</p>
<p>We have already seen success. Before its implementation, the average time to receive a NOAA license was 210 days. However, since we implemented the agreement, NOAA estimates the average time line to grant licenses has been reduced over 50%, to an average 91 days. </p>
<p>This includes over 14 precedent-setting actions for new technologies that could have caused considerable delays under the previous process. For example, high resolution synthetic aperture radar constellations or on-orbit servicing satellites.</p>
<p>But this is just a start. Next month, the Department will publish an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for regulatory reform in commercial remote sensing. We look forward to hearing feedback from all external stakeholders and interested parties.</p>
<p>In addition to deregulatory actions encouraging new activity in space, there must also be “rules of the road” in space to protect U.S. business assets. As more companies are launching objects into space, it’s getting pretty crowded up there. </p>
<p>Between the 1,500 operational satellites, 3,000 other manmade objects in space, and additional space debris, over 20,000 objects larger than 10 cm orbit the planet. </p>
<p>And still more concerning are the estimated 600,000 objects between 1 and 10 cm that can still cause significant damage or destruction. Notably, many of these are the result of two collisions or explosions in space. These facts make evident that space situational awareness and space traffic management must be a priority for U.S. space policy.</p>
<p>As space activity flourishes and companies begin launching constellations of thousands of satellites, many of which are small CubeSats, we must establish a plan for space traffic management and coordination. Best practices and standards are needed to deconflict objects in orbit, encourage debris mitigation and removal, and protect U.S. companies and their assets from possible damage.</p>
<p>Yesterday, the Vice President announced that there will be a civil agency tasked with leading Space Traffic Management and Space Situational Awareness. That agency will be the Department of Commerce.</p>
<p>The Department’s reinvigorated space focus and vision present the ideal interface for coordination of government data collection and private sector application. As space traffic increases, much of it will be commercial.</p>
<p>Accordingly, Commerce is uniquely positioned to partner with industry on the development of standards and best practices for STM and SSA.</p>
<p>We are the friend-of-business agency, work hand-in-hand with multiple industry sectors, and understand the value of public-private collaboration.</p>
<p>Commerce’s mindset will be that of a facilitator of safe space commerce, not that of a typical regulator. We have a new mantra—government must engage not just in oversight, but also insight, and foresight. That is what industry needs!</p>
<p>Additionally, the Department brings a diverse array of expertise that will be vital to design of STM policy. </p>
<p>Many objects going into space will operate cameras licensed by the Department. Also, our NOAA manages the largest operational civil satellite fleet. 18 advanced satellites gathering data to monitor and understand our dynamic planet. </p>
<p>And the Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, already supports aerospace manufacturing and space exploration by providing measurements, calibration services, and research connected to international standards. And, to be very clear, we do so with extensive industry collaboration.</p>
<p>In the first 3 quarters of 2017 alone, NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Project resulted in creation or retention of 3,929 aerospace jobs, over $235 million in new and retained sales, over $137 million in new investment, and $104 million in cost savings. Commerce will tap into NIST’s expertise as we develop a new approach to STM practice.</p>
<p>The Department stands ready to work with other Executive Branch agencies, and the private sector, to develop an STM strategy that creates benchmark standards for the world. </p>
<p>As Commerce takes on new responsibilities from DOD and other agencies, we will make sure there is a seamless transition. We recognize the importance of having the right people, partnerships, and processes in place before any big changes are finalized.</p>
<p>Established best practices for STM/SSA are needed to promote safety, incentivize space companies to operate under the U.S. flag, and defend American companies against parties that cause damage or injury to U.S. business interests in space.</p>
<p>We look forward to building on the preliminary research already conducted by the Department of Transportation, NASA, and other government and private industry leaders. That will be a helpful resource as we quickly address STM and SSA goals.</p>
<p>Additionally, the Department of Commerce will convene an international space regulatory conference in the U.S. no later than January 2019 to discuss STM coordination with private industry. </p>
<p>Embarking on new plans for STM and SSA will require government to hear from key global space industry leaders.</p>
<p>As hundreds of thousands of objects hurl around the planet at tens of thousands of miles per hour, the prospect of additional devastating collisions is no longer becoming a question of <em>if </em>but of <em>when.</em> </p>
<p>The U.S. government must act quickly, in conjunction with the private sector, to coordinate STM standards. If we don’t act now, someone else will.</p>
<p>To maintain U.S. leadership in space, we will develop a new approach to Space Traffic Management that continues to enable our Nation to address current and future operational risks. </p>
<p>This new approach must set priorities for SSA and STM innovation in science and technology, incorporate national security considerations, encourage tremendous growth of space commerce, and enhance STM architecture.</p>
<p>President Trump is committed to renewing American excellence and leadership in space —continued leadership together, not alone. Working with our allies and private sector friends, AMERICA IS LEADING IN SPACE AGAIN.</p>
<p>The Administration’s space strategy will encourage more innovation, regulatory reform, and forward-thinking mission authorization. And we are committed to developing STM policies that enable continued U.S. growth and leadership in space. </p>
<p>Today, we are all privileged to be part of a very special time in space history. We meet during a period of great convergence. Convergence of technology, convergence of capital, and convergence of political will. We must seize this moment.</p>
<p>You heard it from the Vice President yesterday, and I am reaffirming it today. Under the leadership of President Trump, America will continue to be a pioneer in space, and a new, commerce-driven vision will take this country to places and accomplishments like never before!</p>
<p>Again, thank you for having me today. It is an honor to be here among the people that are making history. I look forward to working with you.</p>
Wed, 18 Apr 2018 10:53:30 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2018/04/remarks-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-national-space-symposium-2018U.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Investigations of Imports of Certain Steel Wheels from China https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-initiates-antidumping-duty-and-countervailing
<p>U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced the initiation of new antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations to determine whether certain steel wheels from China are being dumped in the United States and if producers in China are receiving unfair subsidies.</p>
<p>“When a trade case is initiated it begins an open and transparent process that allows American companies, workers, and communities to gain relief from the market-distorting effects of injurious dumping and subsidization of imports,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department will act swiftly, while completing a full and fair assessment of the facts, to ensure that U.S. businesses and workers have a fair chance to compete.”</p>
<p>These AD and CVD investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by Accuride Corporation (Evansville, IN) and Maxion Wheels Akron LLC (Akron, OH) on March 27, 2018. The alleged dumping margins range from 12.1 – 231.7 percent. There are 56 subsidy programs alleged.</p>
<p>In the AD investigation, Commerce will determine whether imports of certain steel wheels from China are being dumped in the U.S. market at less than fair value. </p>
<p>In the CVD investigation, Commerce will determine whether Chinese producers of certain steel wheels are receiving unfair government subsidies.</p>
<p>If Commerce makes affirmative findings in these investigations, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidized U.S. imports of certain steel wheels from China are causing injury to the U.S. industry, Commerce will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist.</p>
<p>In 2017, U.S. imports of certain steel wheels from China were valued at an estimated $388 million. </p>
<p>Click <a href="http://https:/enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-prc-common-alloy-aluminum-sheet-cvd-prelim-041718.pdf" style="-ms-word-break:break-all; word-break:break-word; -webkit-hyphens:none; -moz-hyphens:none; hyphens:none; color:blue; text-decoration:underline">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on these initiations.</p>
<p><strong>Next Steps:</strong></p>
<p>During Commerce’s investigations into whether certain steel wheels from China are being dumped and/or unfairly subsidized, the ITC will conduct its own investigations into whether the U.S. industry and its workforce are being harmed by such imports. The ITC will make its preliminary determinations on or before May 11, 2018. If the ITC preliminarily determines that there is injury or threat of injury, then Commerce’s investigations will continue, with the preliminary CVD determination scheduled for June 20, 2018, and preliminary AD determination scheduled for September 4, 2018, unless these deadlines are extended.</p>
<p>If Commerce preliminarily determines that dumping and/or unfair subsidization is occurring, then it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to start collecting cash deposits from all U.S. companies importing certain steel wheels from China.</p>
<p>Final determinations by Commerce in these cases are scheduled for September 4, 2018, for the CVD investigation, and November 19, 2018, for the AD investigation, but those dates may be extended. If Commerce finds that products are not being dumped or unfairly subsidized, or the ITC finds in its final determinations there is no harm to the U.S. industry, then the investigations will be terminated and no duties will be applied.</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. Commerce has initiated 106 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in the first 452 days of the Trump administration. This is 66 percent more than the 64 initiations in the last 452 days of the previous administration.</p>
<p>The AD and CVD laws provide U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing the U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based solely on factual evidence.</p>
<p>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to “antidumping” duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks or production inputs, are subject to “countervailing duties” aimed at directly countering those subsidies.</p>
Wed, 18 Apr 2018 10:43:26 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-initiates-antidumping-duty-and-countervailingU.S. Secretary of Commerce Applauds Pilot Program to Allow States to Manage Recreational Red Snapper Fishing in the Gulf of Mexicohttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-secretary-commerce-applauds-pilot-program-allow-states-manage
<p>Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross commended the innovative, two-year pilot program that grants partial management responsibility of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery to the five Gulf states. Red snapper caught by private anglers in state and federal waters off Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas will be covered by the program.</p>
<p> "Granting these experimental fishing permits to all five states continues the work we started last year to expand recreational fishing opportunities through coordinated, Gulf-wide seasons,” said Secretary Ross. “We are going to give the States the opportunity to demonstrate effective management that improves recreational opportunities for all Americans. We will be working closely with the states and the Gulf Fishery Management Council to ensure effective conservation and management of the red snapper stock.”</p>
<p> In response to congressional direction and the Gulf states’ interest in managing recreational fishing for red snapper, the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries encouraged the states to submit exempted fishing permit applications to test new and innovative ways to manage recreational red snapper fishing. The permits allow those states to manage recreationally caught red snapper in both state and federal waters, and test data collection methods through two-year pilot programs. Each state will set its own 2018 and 2019 private angling red snapper season, monitor red snapper landings, and close the private angling season when the state’s assigned quota is reached.</p>
<p> “As a Texas native, I know how valuable the red snapper recreational fishery is to coastal businesses of the Gulf of Mexico,” said Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We appreciate the states’ willingness to work with us to test a new management strategy that supports rebuilding this population, while improving fishing opportunities for anglers.”</p>
<p> The following state agencies each submitted exempted fish permit applications: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.</p>
<p> The Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries will work closely with each state agency and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to provide support during the two-year pilot study.</p>
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:36:47 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-secretary-commerce-applauds-pilot-program-allow-states-manageSecretary Ross Announces Activation of ZTE Denial Order in Response to Repeated False Statements to the U.S. Governmenthttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-announces-activation-zte-denial-order-response-repeated
<p>Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. today announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has imposed a denial of export privileges against Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation, of Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Corporation”) and ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd. of Hi-New Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Kangxun”) (collectively, “ZTE”). </p>
<p>In March 2017, ZTE agreed to a combined civil and criminal penalty and forfeiture of $1.19 billion after illegally shipping telecommunications equipment to Iran and North Korea, making false statements, and obstructing justice including through preventing disclosure to and affirmatively misleading the U.S. Government. In addition to these monetary penalties, ZTE also agreed a seven-year suspended denial of export privileges, which could be activated if any aspect of the agreement was not met and/or if the company committed additional violations of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). </p>
<p>The Department of Commerce has now determined ZTE made false statements to BIS in 2016, during settlement negotiations, and 2017, during the probationary period, related to senior employee disciplinary actions the company said it was taking or had already taken. ZTE’s false statements only were reported to the U.S. Government after BIS requested information and documentation showing that employee discipline had occurred. </p>
<p>“ZTE made false statements to the U.S. Government when they were originally caught and put on the Entity List, made false statements during the reprieve it was given, and made false statements again during its probation.” said Secretary of Commerce Ross.</p>
<p>These false statements covered up the fact that ZTE paid full bonuses to employees that had engaged in illegal conduct, and failed to issue letters of reprimand.</p>
<p>“ZTE misled the Department of Commerce. Instead of reprimanding ZTE staff and senior management, ZTE rewarded them. This egregious behavior cannot be ignored,” Secretary Ross said.</p>
<p>Click <a href="//www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/zte_denial_order.pdf">HERE</a> to view the denial order.</p>
<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong></p>
<p>Denial Orders are issued by the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Bureau of Industry and Security, denying the export privileges of a company or individual. A denial of export privileges prohibits a person from participating in any way in any transaction subject to the EAR. Furthermore, it is unlawful for other businesses and individuals to participate in any way in an export transaction subject to the EAR with a denied person.</p>
<p>This is a regulatory action and is unrelated to any ongoing trade-related actions.</p>
<p>BIS is the principal agency involved in the implementation and enforcement of export controls for commercial technologies and many military items. The BIS Office of Export Enforcement detects, prevents, investigates and assists in the sanctioning of illegal exports of such items. For more information, please visit us at <a href="http://www.bis.doc.gov/" style="-ms-word-break:break-all; word-break:break-word; -webkit-hyphens:none; -moz-hyphens:none; hyphens:none; color:blue; text-decoration:underline">www.bis.doc.gov</a>.</p>
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 09:52:22 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/secretary-ross-announces-activation-zte-denial-order-response-repeatedU.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping of Imports of Cold-drawn Mechanical Tubing from China, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, and Switzerlandhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-finds-dumping-imports-cold-drawn-mechanical
<p>Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, and Switzerland. The Department also determined that critical circumstances exist for certain exporters/producers of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Italy.</p>
<p>“Today’s decision allows U.S. producers of cold-drawn mechanical tubing to receive relief from the market-distorting effects of foreign producers dumping into the domestic market,” said Secretary Ross. “We will continue to take action on behalf of U.S. industry to defend American businesses, workers, and communities adversely impacted by unfair imports.”</p>
<p>Commerce determined that exporters from Germany, India, Italy, China, Korea, and Switzerland sold cold-drawn mechanical tubing in the United States at less than fair value. The dumping margins determined by Commerce are as follows:</p>
<p>China – 44.92 to 186.89 percent</p>
<p>Germany – 3.11 to 209.06 percent</p>
<p>India – 8.26 to 33.80 percent</p>
<p>Italy – 47.87 to 68.95 percent</p>
<p>Korea – 30.67 to 48.00 percent</p>
<p>Switzerland – 12.05 to 30.48 percent</p>
<p>As a result of today’s decisions, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Germany, India, Italy, China, Korea, and Switzerland based on the final rates.</p>
<p>In 2016, imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, and Switzerland were valued at an estimated $29.4, $38.8, $25.0, $11.9, $21.3, and $26.2 million, respectively.</p>
<p>The petition was filed by ArcelorMittal Tubular Products (Shelby, OH), Michigan Seamless Tube, LLC (South Lyon, MI), PTC Alliance Corp. (Wexford, PA), Webco Industries, Inc. (Sand Springs, OK), and Zekelman Industries, Inc. (Farrell, PA).</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through April 10, 2018, the Commerce Department has initiated 104 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 100 percent increase from the same period in 2016-2017.</p>
<p>The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is conducting investigations to determine whether or not the domestic industry is harmed by imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, and Switzerland. The ITC is currently scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or before May 24, 2018.</p>
<p>If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations of critical circumstances, the Department will direct CBP to collect antidumping duties on cold-drawn mechanical tubing that entered the United States 90 days prior to the publication of the preliminary determinations in the Federal Register. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of critical circumstances, the Department will direct CBP to refund cash deposits of estimated antidumping duties on cold-drawn mechanical tubing that entered the United States prior to the publication of the preliminary determinations in the Federal Register. </p>
<p>Click <a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-multiple-cold-drawn-mechanical-tubing-ad-final-041018.pdf" style="-ms-word-break:break-all; word-break:break-word; -webkit-hyphens:none; -moz-hyphens:none; hyphens:none; color:blue; text-decoration:underline">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based solely on factual evidence.</p>
<p>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to AD duties.</p>
Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:33:14 -0400abowman@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-finds-dumping-imports-cold-drawn-mechanicalU.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Final Determination on Stainless Steel Flanges from the People&#039;s Republic of China https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-determination-stainless
<p>Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative final determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of stainless steel flanges from China, finding that exporters from China received countervailable subsidies of 174.73 percent. </p>
<p>“President Trump made it clear from the beginning that we will vigorously administer our trade laws to provide U.S. industry with relief from unfair trade practices,” said Secretary Ross. “Today’s decision follows an open and transparent investigation in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, and administrative practices that ensured a full and fair review of the facts.”</p>
<p>As a result of these decisions, the Commerce Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of stainless steel flanges from Chinabased on these final rates.</p>
<p>In 2016, imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India were valued at an estimated $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively.</p>
<p>The petitioners are the Coalition of American Flange Producers and its individual members: Core Pipe Products, Inc. (Carol Stream, IL) and Maass Flange Corporation (Houston, TX).</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through April 4, 2018, the Commerce Department has initiated 102 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 96 percent increase from the same period in 2016-2017.</p>
<p>The CVD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair subsidization of imports into the United States. The Commerce Department currently maintains 428antidumping duty and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is conductingan investigation to determine whether or not the domestic industry is harmed by imports of stainless steel flanges from China. The ITC is currently scheduled to make its final injury determination on or before May 21, 2018.</p>
<p>If the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue a CVD order. If the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.</p>
<p>Click <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwNDA2Ljg4MDQ2NjkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDQwNi44ODA0NjY5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2OTk4MzQyJmVtYWlsaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-prc-stainless-steel-flanges-cvd-final-040618.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0070c0; text-decoration:underline; word-break:break-word" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based solely on factual evidence. </p>
<p>Imports from companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments in the form of grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks and production inputs are subject to “countervailing duties” aimed at directly countering those subsidies.</p>
Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:26:21 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-determination-stainlessU.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Final Antidumping Duty Determinations on Tool Chests and Cabinets from China and Vietnamhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-antidumping-duty
<p>Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam.</p>
<p>“The United States is committed to free, fair, and reciprocal trade with these countries, and this case was decided strictly on a full and fair assessment of the facts,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department of Commerce will defend U.S. companies being hurt by foreign manufacturers that refuse to play by the rules. There are 161 antidumping or countervailing duty orders in place against China, and it is time for them to realize that their actions have consequences.”</p>
<p>The Commerce Department determined that exporters from China have sold tool chests and cabinets in the United States at 97.11 percent to 244.29 percent at less than fair value. Commerce determined that exporters from Vietnam have sold tool chests and cabinets in the United States at 327.17 percent at less than fair value.</p>
<p>As a result of today’s decisions, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to collect cash deposits from importers of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam based on these final rates. </p>
<p>In 2016, imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam were valued at an estimated $230 million and $77 million, respectively.</p>
<p>The petitioner is Waterloo Industries, Inc. (Waterloo). Waterloo manufactures tool chests at its production facility in Sedalia, Missouri.</p>
<p>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. In the first quarter of 2018, the Department of Commerce has already initiated 22 new AD and CVD initiations – a 150 percent increase when compared with the first quarter of the prior year (2017).</p>
<p>The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</p>
<p>The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to issue its final determinations on or around May 18, 2018. If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders on subject merchandise from those markets. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.</p>
<p>Click <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTgwNDA1Ljg3OTY5NDExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE4MDQwNS44Nzk2OTQxMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2OTk3OTE4JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ1c2VyaWQ9a2NwdWxsZW5AZG9jLmdvdiZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&amp;&amp;&amp;101&amp;&amp;&amp;https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/tool_chests_and_cabinets_ad_final_fact_sheet.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0070c0; text-decoration:underline; word-break:break-word" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on today’s decision(s).</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based solely on factual evidence.</p>
<p>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to AD duties.</p>
Thu, 05 Apr 2018 11:16:34 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/04/us-department-commerce-issues-affirmative-final-antidumping-dutyU.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Investigations of Imports of Laminated Woven Sacks from Vietnamhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/03/us-department-commerce-initiates-antidumping-duty-and-countervailing
<div>Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the initiation of new antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations to determine whether laminated woven sacks from Vietnam are being dumped in the United States or if producers in Vietnam are receiving unfair subsidies.</div>
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<div>“With the doubling of the number of trade cases initiated since this same period last year, this Administration has made it clear that we will vigorously administer antidumping and countervailing duty laws,” <strong>said Secretary Ross.</strong> “When initiating a trade investigation, the Department of Commerce begins an open and transparent process that allows American companies and workers to gain relief from the market-distorting effects of injurious dumping and subsidization of imports.”</div>
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<div>These AD and CVD investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by the Laminated Woven Sacks Fair Trade Coalition and its individual members, Polytex Fibers Corporation (Houston, TX) and ProAmpac Holdings Inc. (Cincinnati, OH) on March 7, 2018<strong>. </strong>The alleged dumping margins range from 101.73 – 292.61 percent. There are 19 subsidy programs alleged for Vietnam.</div>
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<div>In the AD investigation, Commerce will determine whether imports of laminated woven sacks from Vietnam are being dumped in the U.S. market at less than fair value. </div>
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<div>In the CVD investigation, Commerce will determine whether Vietnamese producers of laminated woven sacks are receiving unfair government subsidies.</div>
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<div>If Commerce makes affirmative findings in these investigations, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidized U.S. imports of laminated woven sacks from Vietnam are causing injury to the U.S. industry, Commerce will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist.</div>
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<div>In 2017, U.S. imports of laminated woven sacks from Vietnam were valued at an estimated $21.1 million. </div>
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<div>Click <a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-vietnam-laminated-woven-sacks-ad-cvd-initiation-032818.pdf">HERE</a> for a fact sheet on these initiations.</div>
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<div><strong>Next Steps:</strong></div>
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<div>During Commerce’s investigations into whether laminated woven sacks from Vietnam are being dumped and/or unfairly subsidized, the ITC will conduct its own investigations into whether the U.S. industry and its workforce are being harmed by such imports. The ITC will make its preliminary determinations on or before April 23, 2018. If the ITC preliminarily determines that there is injury or threat of injury, then Commerce’s investigations will continue, with the preliminary CVD determination scheduled for May 31, 2018, and preliminary AD determination scheduled for August 14, 2018, unless these deadlines are extended.</div>
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<div>If Commerce preliminarily determines that dumping and/or unfair subsidization is occurring, then it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to start collecting cash deposits from all U.S. companies importing laminated woven sacks from Vietnam.</div>
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<div>Final determinations by Commerce in these cases are scheduled for August 14, 2018, for the CVD investigation, and October 29, 2018, for the AD investigation, but those dates may be extended. If Commerce finds that products are not being dumped or unfairly subsidized, or the ITC finds in its final determinations there is no harm to the U.S. industry, then the investigations will be terminated and no duties will be applied.</div>
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<div>Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through March 27, 2018, the Commerce Department has initiated 104 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 100 percent increase from January 20, 2017, through March 27, 2018.</div>
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<div>The AD and CVD laws provide U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.</div>
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<div>The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing the U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based solely on factual evidence.</div>
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<div>Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to “antidumping” duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks or production inputs, are subject to “countervailing duties” aimed at directly countering those subsidies.</div>
Wed, 28 Mar 2018 20:04:49 -0400kcpullen@doc.govhttps://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2018/03/us-department-commerce-initiates-antidumping-duty-and-countervailing